Central Valley drug bust intercepts millions worth of methamphetamine headed to Sacramento
SACRAMENTO COUNTY -- What could be upwards of $12 million in methamphetamine headed to Sacramento was seized in Tulare County as part of a nine-month investigation in partnership with agencies across the state, including the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
What was seized: nearly 1,000 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 14 firearms, and nearly $50,000. There were two methamphetamine conversion laboratories with multiple 55-gallon drums filled with a total of 4,000 pounds of liquid methamphetamine in various stages of conversion.
The narcotics were from Mexico, brought into California to Tulare County, and would then be transported into Sacramento County and the greater Northern California region.
"The same things we celebrate and love about this region makes us more vulnerable," said Amar Gandhi, a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.
Sacramento is centrally located, with Highway 99, Interstate 5 and 80 all through the county. These roads make transporting illegal drugs easier for "creative" cartels that will go to "any lengths" to transport their merchandise, according to Gandhi.
Three suspects were also booked into the Fresno County Jail: Armando Rosales Gonzalez, 35, of Tulare; Rogelio Ceniceros Flores, 37, of Jalisco, Mexico; and Carlos Bobadilla, 39, of Tulare. There are pending federal charges.
